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Michael Afton had always been…an interesting fellow. He had soft brown curls that framed two large, pointy ears. He had a thick, bushy tail. He would bark and growl when he got upset or excited. He had sharp canines, surely sharper than the average mans’. He was extremely intelligent, he could take things apart and put them back together in ten minutes flat! Michael was strong, you’d seen him lift at least three boxes in his arms (All by himself no less) when he was first moving in next door.
You always had questions about him. His house was dark during the day and during the night. You almost never saw him leave! Sometimes you’d see packages being dropped off, but by the time you’d gotten a good vantage point, the packages were removed from the doorway. It was weird how many questions you really had about him. He seemed nice, the only interaction you’d had was when you brought cookies and offered to add him to the neighborhood message board. He’d declined, of course, but he had been polite about it at least.
Then there was the barbecue. The family three doors down from you always had barbecues in the summer, one every Saturday. Everyone in the neighborhood was invited, including Michael. Since you were the only one actually inclined to speak to him, you offered to go invite him yourself. It wasn’t like it was out of your way, he lived right across the street! So the Friday before the first big barbecue of the season, you walked yourself right across the street and knocked on the door.
The door opened just a crack, and you were greeted by a half-asleep Michael. He looked…rough. His hair was tousled, He had bags under his eyes, his clothes were baggy and he seemed incredibly pale. He blinked away the sunlight and backed away, opening the door fully and beckoning you inside, out of the bright sunlight. “Too bright…Too early.” He yawned. He tripped over his feet just a tad as he stepped inside, clearly not the most graceful individual.
“I uh…Well, I was told to invite you to the neighborhood barbecue. First one of the season, we have them every Saturday, You aren’t on the board so we-” You prattled on and on for a moment, anxiety making things much worse. You only found yourself worried because, being this close to him, you could see just how cute he actually was. His blue eyes were incredibly striking in this light, the sharp jawline, the soft natural pout of his lips…Damn you were screwed.
He blinked at you, eyes void of any thought. You stopped when you noticed, unsure of what word-vomit you’d just fed him. He blinked a few more times before he seemed to have a quarter of a working brain cell. “What?” Michael’s eyebrow raised, his one brain cell clearly fighting for its life. “Well…There’s a-” Michael huffed, not giving you a second to answer. “Yes, yes, I heard. Barbecue. Why am I being invited?” Well, he had a fair right to ask, you had just waltzed into his home, started speaking in tongues in his face while he was clearly just trying to wake up, and now you expected him to go to some shindig?
Your shoe squeaked on the hardwood as you crossed your ankles, and Michael’s head snapped in the direction of the squeak. You froze, suddenly wondering if he’d be upset at you for wearing shoes in his house. It didn’t seem like he had much room to really be judging you for that, but you still worried. You swallowed, noticing that his ears were fully perked, his tail raised and wagging slightly.
You moved your foot, producing a similar squeak. His eyes followed the shoe and he wagged his tail a bit harder. Was he…Chasing your shoe? Was he really…Nah, couldn’t be! You dragged your shoe, spinning yourself in a circle. Immediately Michael leapt at the offending shoe, falling to the floor with a thunk, his canines bared. He wrapped an arm around your ankle, prepared to bite. Then, Just as quick as this whole shenanigan had started, he stopped, quickly picking himself up and dusting himself off.
“You do not mention that to anyone, clear?” He spoke, his voice was gruff and thick with an accent. Had it not been shocking at that moment, you might have found it attractive…maybe you did find it attractive. “No, I won’t!” You quickly put your hands up, hoping to appease him. He looked you over, nodding briefly. “So…Barbecue? Saturday? Where?” He asked. He must have been listening to you the whole time. “Yeah, yeah! The Smiths, house 203, right down the road. You’re invited since you live in the neighborhood!” You grinned, knowing that this interaction would haunt your dreams that night, and probably for the rest of your life.
“I don’t know if I’ll go, but thanks for inviting me.” He shrugged, and you cleared your throat. “This could all be avoided if you’d just join the group board!” He shook his head. “I’m not…Social enough for that. Besides, it gives you a reason to come over and speak to me.” He laughed, giving a half-smile. Your mind blanked for a moment, unsure of what else to say. “Oh…Well if you want me over Why don’t you invite me over?” Fuck did that just leave your mouth? Did you really just ask that? Why would you say that? You were in some strangers house and-
“Okay! Are you free Sunday?” His voice cut through your anxious rambling like a knife through butter. “I should be.” Why were you going along with this? He was a stranger who you had never interacted with, why would you just- “Cool. Come over Sunday. I’ll do up something fancy for you.” Well…That didn’t sound so bad. “What time?” Shit, no going back now, huh. “I usually have dinner around seven, so seven?” He tilted his head and his fluffy ears flopped a bit to the side. Cute. “Sure. I’ll uh, I’ll head on home and let you get back to sleeping.” You hummed, turning towards the door.
Sure enough, he didn’t go to the barbecue on Saturday, but you did. The following Sunday morning you were a little groggy, slightly sunburnt, and not at all prepared to go to Michael’s for dinner. You sort of regretted the decision to go, but you also knew that Michael was incredibly cute and you didn’t want to miss the chance to hang out with him. You got yourself out of bed and showered for the day, dressing according to the summer heat. Weekends off usually meant sleeping in, maybe going out for some fun, just hanging out. You usually didn’t make plans, aside from the neighborhood stuff, so weekends were usually a free-for-all with you.
Yet here you were, making plans for a Sunday evening dinner, with a handsome neighbor you had very few interactions with. Today should have been a chill, relaxed, listen-to-some-music-and-do-the-laundry type of day. But you couldn’t say no. And, if anything, it was a free meal. Someone else was cooking for you, you couldn’t turn that down! Besides, maybe you would get some…action. God knows it’s been a while since you’ve had some adult fun. It wasn’t likely, but there was a sliver of a chance.
You knocked on the door hesitantly, you were five minutes early. What if he wasn’t ready? What if he’d changed his mind? Did you at least look decent? Was your hair brushed? Oh god, were your shoes clean? What if he didn’t like you and this was just a friendly gesture? What if you had done all this extra work and he only wanted to be friends? What if he wanted to be something more than friends, though? Were you prepared for that? Would the neighbors-
He opened the door and beckoned you in. Well, no more time to contemplate your life choices. You walked in right behind him, following him through the entryway into the small kitchen. You noted the clean countertops, a faint smell of lemon hanging in the air. Had he just cleaned up? Surely he’d cleaned before cooking? Maybe he just didn’t want dirty dishes hanging around? What if-
“Sorry, I had to clean right after I cooked. I can’t stand the smell of food lingering in the house, you know? Sensitive nose.” He pointed to his nose and gave a gentle laugh. “Oh, I get it.” You responded, returning the smile. “Follow me, I was just about to set the table.” He beckoned you to follow him to the dining table. A little round table settled in the back corner of the kitchen, it could easily seat four people, and you assumed that it was probably the smallest table he could find. He lived alone, after all, no need to overcompensate!
“Oh, how cute. You have a nice place!” You hummed, seating yourself at the table. “Thanks, it’s uh…Small. Perfect for me though.” He shrugged and gave an awkward chuckle. “It’s really nice!” You contemplated changing the subject for a moment before Michael rolled his shoulders. “Come on, let's make your plate,” He beckoned you over to the counter before shuffling over there himself. You hopped up and allowed him to make your plate. It was a sweet gesture, in all honesty, but you still found yourself wondering about some of the little things.
Why didn’t he have photos of his family or friends? Did he just pop into existence? Did his family all die in a horrible accident? Did he just not speak to them anymore? Did that matter? Why was that what you noticed? Of all things, you notice something super small? Why not notice how his house seemed hardly lived in? Why not point out that he’s gone all the time? That at least would lead to some sensible conversation! Why not ask him-
“You constantly seem to be lost in thought. Am I that boring?” The lilt of his accent brought you out of your thoughts. The soft grin plastered on his face seemed ill-fitting, given what he’d just asked. Now you weren’t sure what you could say. “Oh, sorry! It’s uh…Anxiety. I zone out a bit and overthink stuff! You aren’t boring! Quite the opposite honestly. You’re funny and smart and-” And you were rambling, best cut this off now before you make this even worse.
There was silence as you awkwardly cut yourself off, bowing your head. And you’re doomed, screwed, fubberknucked, really screwed the pooch on this one. If the Pooch was Michael, well you missed that chance. “You know they make medication for that right?” You blinked. “What?” Your brain lagged like a 2005 Dell laptop as you processed his words. “Medication. For anxiety? Curbs the overthinking and, consequently, the panic attacks. You may need it.” He shrugged, his dog ears giving a twitch. “Oh…I might.” Well, you had that at least. Would it be awkward to ask him a question now?
“Ask me anything, let's dispel some of that anxiety. I promise I don’t want to make you frightened!” he gave a rather loud bark of a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. You took note of how his eyes crinkled slightly, of how his hair and ears flopped to the side as he laughed. It was a cute sight really, a welcome break from the fear and constant questions plaguing your brain. “Ok…How come I never see you out and about? Your house is always so empty and dark!” A simple question. No way this could end badly.
“I work the night shift. It means I sleep at funny hours. Sleep all day, up all night, that kind of thing.” He shrugged, his big blue eyes watching you with rapt attention. “Oh. What about family? You’re all by yourself here!” You tilted your head, watching as his smile faltered. Damn. fucking it all up again, aren’t you? Can’t even have a simple conversation without-
“Oh, My siblings passed a few years ago. Just me and my father left, if he can even be called that. I Practically raised myself,” He laughed awkwardly and you felt yourself cringe a tad. “Sorry, I-” He shook his head cutting you off. “Completely normal line of questioning, I expected it to be fair. It gets lonely, being a pack animal and all, but I’ve been alone longer than I’ve had friends so I’m used to it by now.” He shrugged, his smile fully returning to his face. You could see through it though, his eyes didn’t have the same happy glint you’d seen just minutes prior.
“What made you move to this neighborhood?” Hopefully, this would bring you to a much…happier conversation. “Honestly? Pack animal instincts. I want to belong and Part of me hoped that I could feel more…included in such a large neighborhood. My loner personality makes me want to reject all of this though.” He shrugged. “Kind of confusing to deal with, to be honest.” You nodded, understanding to some degree. Your own anxiety made fitting in much harder, causing you to overcompensate and overthink your interactions. Maybe not exactly the same, but it certainly made his situation understandable to you.
“Can I ask you a question? I feel it's only fair since you’ve relaxed a little.” He tilted his head, and his hair and ears flopped with the movement. You grinned as his tail wagged a bit, thinking of how cute he looked. “Sure Mike-” Panic set in immediately, you were giving this…sort of stranger a nickname. Oh no, it was way too soon for that, you had to nip that in the bud right now! “Can I call you Mike? I don’t remember you ever-” You stopped yourself, unsure if continuing your current question would help him give you an answer.
His expression shifted, his brows furrowing and his head dipping slightly, saying, “I…No one has ever called me by a nickname before…” His expression shifted again, a lopsided grin plastered across his face. “Yes, I like that.” He gave a sort of…goofy chuckle, closing his eyes. You cleared your throat. “You wanted to ask me a question too?” He blinked, likely processing your words. You hated to break his happy concentration, but you were rather curious as to what he was going to ask.
“Oh! Right!” Suddenly a blush crept up his cheeks. “Well, I was wondering. What are your thoughts on men?” Was he…was he asking about your sexuality? “Are you asking if I’m gay?” You raised an eyebrow and felt a grin pulling at your lips. Michael’s eyes widened a bit and his cheeks flushed a deeper red. “I mean, I am, but that's a weird way to ask that.” You laughed a bit yourself and Michael let out a hum. “Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want.” He rolled his eyes and he gave a smirk, his words layered thick with sarcasm.
“I assume you’re asking me for a reason though?” You asked, the laughter from the two of you dying down a bit. “Yes, there’s a reason. I didn’t want to just assume you’d be romantically interested in me!” He hummed, and you nodded. That was understandable. “I mean I am, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested!” You offered, shrugging slightly. Michael merely nodded. “Of course, I don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you too far, too fast!” He gave a lopsided grin. “There’s a chance for you! I just want to go slower, if you want to do more than just hook-ups,” you laughed a bit, hoping he understood your meaning.
“I never was one for hook-ups myself, I have to get to know a person for that. I understand you completely!” Michael nodded approvingly and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. “So? Same time next week then? Or do you want to space out our little dates?” Michael hummed with a raised eyebrow. “Oh…Well, I’m down to do this however you want to!” There it is, your people-pleasing nature comes back around to rear its ugly head. This was one time where it didn’t actually bother you though, you wanted to see Michael in his natural habitat more often, and there was no better way to do that than to have him pick the dates.
“Well, if there’s anything I know about anxiety, I know it often comes with people-pleasing. So You pick next week’s date, I’ll pick the one week after next, you get the point. Sound like a plan?” Michael offered, reading you like a book. “That's…much better, yeah. So Ramen joint next week?” You countered, throwing out a random restaurant. He nodded. “Same time, I take it? Sunday at seven?” He asked and you nodded. “Yeah, once a week, seven in the evening. Keeps a schedule!” You let out a laugh and Michael laughed with you. This felt…right. It felt normal. You had just had a lovely dinner date with a dog boy and you’d planned one for next week too.
He escorted you to the door, and you headed right back across the street to your own home. This was your new normal, or you hoped it was. He was naturally good at easing you too, something you’d never had in a relationship. You found yourself considering this as you cleaned up from the day, contemplating what you’d be doing in the next week. There was a joy you hadn’t felt in a long time. This neighborhood had brought plenty of happiness since you’d moved in, but you hadn’t had a truly fulfilling relationship in so long! Maybe this was the missing piece, maybe you needed this! Your friends had pestered you about relationships before, so maybe they knew something you didn’t! You were fairly sure they hadn’t considered dating a dog boy though, that had to be a first for anyone in your circle. You were sure that once the two of you were on solid ground, you’d be sure to spam them with photos of the two of you, as long as Mike agreed, of course! You set yourself off to bed for the night, dreaming of Michael.